Shuber, a lawyer with Beard Winter LLP, says a string of decisions from across the country confirming that pets are viewed no differently than furniture or personal belongings in divorce proceedings can be disturbing to animal lovers.

“There are people who believe that statutes need to reflect the new reality of how people view their pets, which is more like part of the family. It’s an ongoing debate, but for now, the law is the law and pets are treated as property,” she says. “It’s a bit of an outmoded view that whoever shelled out the money for the pet is the one who gets to keep it, but whether it’s a dog, a ring or a car, they’re all treated the same way.”

While we welcome your email and look forward to hearing from you, please note that sending this email does not create a solicitor-client relationship, or any other contractual business relationship, between you and Beard Winter LLP. We would ask that you refrain from asking specific legal questions and/or divulging information that you wish to keep confidential.